Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has welcomed the latest change in the club’s ownership structure, saying the ambition at Stamford Bridge remains clearly defined after Clearlake Capital took full control of the Premier League club.
Clearlake completed the acquisition of the remaining shares previously held by Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, bringing an end to Boehly’s tenure as Chelsea chairman.
The development was announced on Wednesday, with Clearlake’s co-founders, Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, now taking full control of the club’s ownership. Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group.
Chelsea’s new ownership structure has also reaffirmed the club’s sporting ambitions.
In a statement, the club said its objective was to compete at the highest level, challenge for major trophies and build sustained success.
Alonso, who took charge of Chelsea on July 1, described the ownership transition as an important moment for the club ahead of Friday’s Premier League meeting with Brentford.
The Spanish manager acknowledged the contribution of the previous ownership group, despite arriving at Stamford Bridge after the 2022 takeover.
“Thanks to the former owners for what they’ve done. I was not here, but I know they played an important role,” Alonso said.
The former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen coach also welcomed Eghbali’s increased control and revealed that he has developed a strong working relationship with the Clearlake co-founder.
Alonso said Eghbali had personally travelled to Madrid to explain Chelsea’s project to him and convince him to take over as manager.
“I have very good relations with Behdad. He was the one that came to Madrid to explain me the project, to convince me, and we are working well together,” Alonso said.
The Chelsea boss stressed that the club understands where it wants to go, although he acknowledged that achieving its long-term objectives will take time.
“We know where we want to be; we know that everything takes time, but the ambition for that is very clear,” he added.
The ownership change comes at a significant stage of Chelsea’s rebuilding process.
The club was acquired in 2022 by a consortium involving Clearlake, Boehly, Walter and Wyss after Roman Abramovich’s ownership came to an end.
Before the latest transaction, Clearlake held a 61.5 per cent stake in the club, while Boehly and Walter held the remaining interests alongside Wyss. Clearlake has now acquired the stakes belonging to Boehly and Walter, giving it full control. Reuters reported the transaction was valued at about £950 million.
Chelsea have experienced mixed fortunes since the original takeover.
The club’s highest Premier League finish during that period was fourth in the 2024/25 season, when they also won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup.
However, Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season, leading to the appointment of Alonso as the latest manager tasked with improving the team’s performances.
The early stages of Alonso’s first Premier League campaign have produced seven points from four matches, leaving Chelsea sixth in the table ahead of their trip to Brentford.
Chelsea will face Brentford on Friday as Alonso continues to work on developing the squad and implementing his footballing ideas.
The ownership transition is not expected to bring major changes to the club’s day-to-day operations or strategic direction. Instead, Clearlake has indicated that its focus will remain on investment, infrastructure, sporting performance and long-term development.
For Alonso, the most important issue is that the club’s direction is now clear.
The manager has acknowledged the need for patience while also making it clear that Chelsea’s ambitions extend beyond short-term improvement.
The club’s stated objective is to compete consistently at the highest level and challenge for major honours, while Alonso now has the responsibility of turning those ambitions into results on the pitch.
As Clearlake begins its new phase of full control, Chelsea supporters will be watching closely to see how the ownership structure, Alonso’s leadership and the club’s sporting plans develop during the 2026/27 campaign.
For now, Alonso says the message from the ownership is clear: Chelsea know where they want to be, even if reaching that destination will take time.
